Clarendon Park in 1960 Part 1: Clarendon Park Road

This week’s local history purchase was the 1960 Kelly’s Directory of Leicester, which was published at the tail end of the publishing history of the trade/street directory. The binding is still the familiar red, gold and black with advertising on every possible surface, and it’s still a weighty tome – but Kelly’s and its rivals faced competition from telephone directories and by 1960 its days were numbered. It’s still a fascinating read for those of us so inclined, and I have enjoyed making comparisons between Clarendon Park in 1960 and 1912.

Although Queens Road is the obvious choice, for comparing the shops and businesses of the past and present, I find the lesser shopping streets more interesting. I started with Clarendon Park Road, which several older residents of Clarendon Park Road have told me used to be full of useful little shops. I took a notebook on a walk down Clarendon Park Road and noted the current shops and businesses. I added these in italics to the list below of 1960 shops and businesses. What is interesting is how many broadly similar or even the same businesses there are trading at quite a few of the premises – such as a branch of the Belgrave Laundry Co at number 107, which is now Bliss dry cleaners, or the bicycle dealer John E Chamberlain at 214-6 (now Julies Cycles). Some businesses have moved to different premises, such as Spiers Pharmacy, which in its earlier incarnation was at the premises now occupied by Hot Ice Printing.

There are also a lot of changes. There aren’t any greengrocers on Clarendon Park these days, more’s the pity – but we do have a few take aways and a running shop (which I suspect would have been utterly baffling to the Clarendon Park residents of 1960!). I was surprised at how many shops and businesses there still are on Clarendon Park Road. I had expected the number to have dropped considerably. There are some former shops that have been rather insensitively converted to houses, and some attractive shop fronts that have been badly modernised (the former Tango tanning shop at 179 and 181 for example. Grey double glazing is never a good look, chaps). But on the whole we are very lucky in still retaining much of the Victorian character of the shops and houses on Clarendon Park Road. Let’s keep it that way.

* Disclaimer: Many of the shops and businesses on Clarendon Park Road don’t have visible street numbers, so there may be some small errors (please feel free to point them out to me!).

4 responses to “Clarendon Park in 1960 Part 1: Clarendon Park Road”

I can well remember E A Caves the fruiterer of 131. I worked there from 1959 to 1961 whilst in the 6th form. The shop was run by Bill Pell on behalf of his wife, the daughter of E A Cave. Bill was an ex RAF flight engineer who had served on Sunderlands in the Med’ during the war and had many interesting tales to tell. Working with me at this time was Dicky Armstrong, later to become Sir Richard Armstrong, Musical Director of the Welsh and then Scottish National Operas. He would often have to dash off to play the organ at St Johns church for a wedding, funeral or some other event. We sold almost anything including cigarettes and it was a bit like an early ‘Open All Hours’. Certainly we had a lot of fun!

That’s fascinating Bill, thanks so much for posting. I don’t suppose you have any photos or other related memorabilia you’d be willing to share with us? I’m very interested to hear about Dicky Armstrong – was he a Clarendon Park resident then? I feel another article coming on.

Very interesting! I moved to 186 Clarendon Park Rd as a student in 1972 (and am still in the area)
I remember Spiers chemists which was opposite at 217 – and have a photo somewhere. Was surpised to see P.O. at 196. In 1972 it was at 190 (where the post-box still remains). The chinese takeaway was there in 1972 – one of only 2 takeways at the time, the other being the chip-shop on Queens Rd/Avenue Rd ext. corner). There was another shop I remember on that stretch which would sell you one fishfinger or beefburger – very useful for students at the time who lived mainly on a diet of baked beans and toast!